Whenever Christians quarrel with the secular culture, our opponents use the same defense. Christians shouldn’t try to impose their values on non-Christians. As one woman told me, “Jews don’t eat pork, but we don’t insist that you abstain. Why can’t you show the same tolerance over abortion?”
I don’t want to talk about abortion today, though. I want to consider the gulf between the church’s views and those of the secular world in general, especially the misconception that Christians just randomly made up some rules and are forcing everyone else to follow them. In truth, Christian moral principles were in place long before Jesus was born.
About 100 billion human beings lived before you and me. One of their earliest achievements was a moral code, which is remarkably consistent throughout the world and throughout time. Our ancestors tested and refined that code and found that both individuals and communities do best when everyone strives to follow the rules.
Certain basic principles appear in every code. The church calls them “natural law” and says that these principles are as objectively true as the law of gravity. For instance, all legal systems condemn murder, theft and deceit. All faiths encourage loyalty and generosity.
These codes, by the way, are a great illustration of Original Sin. No one needs to urge us to obey the law of gravity. However, we all have trouble following the moral laws. So, society has used legal penalties to enforce the precepts that we all say we value.
We’ve seen tremendous progress in scientific discoveries and material wealth in the last century. There are those who believe that this progress means that we’ve outgrown some of the time-honored moral laws. I see no evidence, however, that human nature has changed.
For example, we’ve long believed that the ideal home has a father and mother committed for life to each other and to their children. We’ve enacted laws regarding marriage to support this commitment. In the last 50 years, however, we’ve softened those laws out of concern for the innocent party in a disastrous marriage. This change has had unintended consequences. Human beings have always been tempted to walk away from a difficult or boring relationship. With divorce so easy, we now do that in record numbers, and thousands of children grow up in homes that are far from ideal.
In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul said that the natural law is written on every human heart. Thomas Jefferson made a similar argument when he wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Certain principles are so universally accepted that it’s actually difficult to defend them. Sex with children, for example, is so obviously wrong that it’s hard to explain why.
It’s interesting that when the church criticizes a social or governmental practice, our opponents turn to natural law for their defense. For example, supporters of same-sex marriage argue that it’s a matter of fairness. Fairness is one of those universal fundamental values. If you rely upon it for your argument, then you’re acknowledging that there are indeed moral laws that are binding on us all.
When debating with non-Catholics, we might recall Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:1-42). He begins by asking for her help. He throws out some theological bait, and she bites. When the conversation turns personal, he praises her honesty. The result is a new Christian eager to share the good news with her neighbors. With God’s grace, we should be able to discuss even abortion in the same respectful way.
Kathleen welcomes comments. Send them to Kathleen Choi, 1706 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720, or e-mail: kathchoi@hawaii.rr.com.
